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If you've wondered who would win a fight — Thor or Spider-Man — "Disney Infinity 3.0" wants to give you a chance to find out.
Developers for the Disney toys-to-life video game announced this week the additions of Marvel, "Zootopia" and "Jungle Book" content to the game, which came out with the latest version last August. Players place a toy figure on a reader to use that character in the game, either in franchise-specific levels or in an open-ended "toy box" mode, which allows players to design levels and mix a wide array of Disney-owned characters.
Avalanche Software, based in Salt Lake City, leads development of the games.
As of Tuesday, the cotton-tailed police officer Judy Hopps and her fox friend, Nick, from the "Zootopia" film out today, are playable characters. Kelly Murphy, lead combat designer at Avalanche Software, pointed out in an online presentation that they embody gameplay styles that "Disney Infinity" characters haven't focused on before.
"Judy is this really good combination of someone who is quick and agile, but also really powerful," and she can use a tranquilizer gun to stun enemies, Murphy said. Nick, on the other hand, wields a giant Popsicle stick. "We don't have this character who is this melee powerhouse, but can also have someone come help him out in combat."
The announcement, which was broadcast live over YouTube, also focused on the Marvel Battlegrounds four-player expansion, which the company has previously teased. The expansion, due out March 15, introduces brawler-style gameplay as characters fight through eight levels of the Marvel universe, from Earth to outer space to a final confrontation with a massive version of the evil robot Ultron.
"We knew from the outset that we wanted it to be different from all the other play sets," Bunker said. "It's all about four people on the couch together, battling each other at the same time."
Among the superheroes featured in the game, the expansion introduces four new playable characters: Black Panther, Ant-Man, Vision and a new version of Captain America, modeled after the hero's upcoming "Civil War" film. The developers discussed the challenge of balancing all of the superheroes, from the shrinking Ant-Man to the physical powerhouses like Captain America, in a way that keeps the battles fun for anyone.
The new roster, who likewise go toe-to-toe in "Civil War," won't be alone for long.
"Even more Marvel characters will be released this year," said John Blackburn, Disney Infinity senior vice president and general manager. He assured that all of the content will be compatible with the "Disney Infinity 3.0" starter pack and base.
The announcement also spotlighted the addition of Baloo, the jolly bear from "The Jungle Book." His character, though, is based on the 1967 cartoon, not the live-action reimagining that debuts next month.
Blackburn also teased that the company will announce new content from "Finding Dory," Pixar's sequel to "Finding Nemo," and "Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass" later this year.
Tuesday's announcements comes about three weeks after Disney Infinity reported lower sales last quarter, despite "Disney Infinity 3.0's" focus on the popular "Star Wars" franchise. The financial report from Disney did not provide specific numbers.
Sales also slipped the quarter before that, which was before "Disney Infinity 3.0" launched, according to a financial report.
Twitter: @MikeyPanda